LaVerne “Jack” Jay Mendel

Funeral services also 11 AM Saturday, February 5, at 500 5th St., St. Martin’s Lutheran Church in Alexandria, SD., with visitation one hour before the service and burial in Emery Community Cemetery in Emery, SD.

Bittner Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements in Alexandria.

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LaVerne “Jack” Mendel, 88, of Waterloo, died Tuesday, January 25, 2022 at Pinnacle Specialty Care.

He was born January 1, 1934, in Freeman, SD, son of Jacob Mendel, Jr., and Kathryn Hofer Mendel. Jack graduated from Freeman High School and Freeman Junior College; he received his bachelor’s degree from University of Nebraska Omaha and a degree in physical therapy from University of Iowa. Jack married Janice Osterloo on September 7, 1958, in Alexandria, SD. Jack worked as a physical therapist for 50 years.

He was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Waterloo, Rotary International, American Physical Therapy Association, and Gideon International. Jack also was a member of numerous Chambers of Commerce. He spent his life enjoying faith, family, friends, physical therapy, and flying.

Jack is survived by his wife, Janice Mendel of Waterloo; daughters, Lisa (Phill) Goedken of Gowrie, and Jana (David) Grant of Waterloo; foreign exchange son, Cem Pasinli of Istanbul, Turkey; 10 grandchildren, Andrew (Kaitlin) Schoonhoven, Patrick (Molly) Schoonhoven, Danielle (Luke) Schoonhoven Iseminger, Kayley Grant, DJ Grant, Jessica (Maurie) Goedken Tomke, Aubrey Grant, Zachary Goedken, Noah Goedken, and Caleb Goedken; and 10 great-grandchildren, William, Abraham, Grace, and Judah Schoonhoven, Henry and Emersyn Schoonhoven, Charlotte and Jacob Tomke, and Jack and Corbin Iseminger.

He is preceded by his parents; and sisters, Lorraine Mendel Hofer and Doris Mendel Schmidt.